Reflect on marriage and divorce in current North American societies. What factors contribute to the stability of marriages in our culture?
- Watch Blood Bonds, available in the Films On Demand database, in the Ashford Online Library. Describe the correlation between arranged marriage, economic exchanges surrounding marriage (bridewealth, bride service, dowry, etc.), status of women, family pressures, and other factors you can think of and the stability of marriage. Based on your reading of the textbook and the film, what are the disadvantages of different forms of marriages? Do you think they can be as successful as marriages of choice? Which form of marriage do you have the hardest time understanding?
Reflect on marriage and divorce in current North American societies. What factors contribute to the stability of marriages in our culture? What factors contribute to stability of marriage in the cultures shown in the film? And lastly, what factors of the cultures in the film could contribute to the stability of marriage in our culture? And vise versa?
Your initial response should be at least 150 words in length. Please support your claims with examples from the required resources. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.
- Doing Business with Family
Nowak and Laird’s Applying Anthropology 6.2 box, in Cultural Anthropology, proposes the following question:
The familiar saying “never do business with family” advises against the practices used in many of the chiefdom societies discussed in this chapter. This old saying implies that doing business with family will create conflict, whereas chiefdom societies welcome and encourage such close-knit economic exchanges as a way of preventing conflict. In fact, in an interesting article on family businesses, Bertrand and Schoar comment on how cultures based on strong family ties can have a negative impact on economic development. The reasoning is that the more we are taught to count on our kinship and family ties, the less likely we are to trust those outside our family networks, which greatly prohibits the development of larger economic institutions…
Consider both examples and create an argument for or against mixing business with family. When responding to this question, be sure to engage in cross-cultural comparison, taking into consideration variation in subsistence systems, descent systems, mobility, and any other factors you consider pertinent. Draw examples from the ethnographic record, your own experience, and the experience of others with whom you are familiar.
Your initial response should be at least 150 words in length. Please support your claims with examples from the text, recommended material, and/or scholarly articles. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.
